Chemical storage - part 2

[Jorge Oliveira]

Ole

- 47 C? My record was - 18 C in Munich, and that was cold enought...

Jorge O

 

[glbeas]

another risk, albeit small, is if any form or a oil or grease should hit the top of the cylinder at the connectrion. It can cause it to start a fire and explode. Helps to have had a brother in law who was a fireman.

You are thinking of the strict warnings on Oxygen bottles against allowing any oil or grease in or on the fittings or connections. A drop of oil in O2 at those pressures will ignite sponaneously and explosively. Fortunately we don't have to deal with that stuff in the darkroom.

 

[Aggie]

nope not thinking of oxygen. one fire my brother in law had to go to was one where some student had brought his lunch with him to the local high school. with his greasy hands (don't know what he was eating) he was switching out the regulator to a new tank of gas in the chem lab for the teacher. the grease of his hands reacted cheically with the head and what residue was there and burst into flames.

I work with acetylene quite a bit, and oxygen. After his warning, I keep a loose plastic wrap over the head when not using them, to prevent any kind of contamination.

 

[BobF]

This discussion, which started with using butane or propane to top off bottles, got side tracked to compressed nitrogen because butane is too dangerous!!! After reading all this about tank hazards I feel safer with butane and I don't have to chain it to the wall or keep my greasy hands away from it. All I have to do it keep matches away. I have been using candles for a special printing effect but I won't do that any more;-)

I am being a wise a** but it seems to me that butane is still easier, cheaper and maybe just as safe if used appropriately.

 

[Jorge Oliveira]

I agree I'm very biased.
But there's only a bit of butane, and thre's always water form the developer...

I feel that what I pour/blow (?) in the bottle is quite less than it takes to refill a lighter.

Jorge O